Bernard J. Durkan
Question:314 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans he has to ensure access for children with disabilities to mainstream education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21736/00]
Written Answers. - Special Educational Needs.
Children with special needs who are attending mainstream schools on a fully integrated basis may require special teaching and child care support. Arising from a Government decision of October 1998 all children with special needs within the primary system now have an automatic entitlement to the support services they require to enable them to benefit fully from the education system. The service in question may take the form of resource teaching support or child care support or both, depending on the particular needs of the pupils or group of pupils involved. Already, as a result of this development, my Department has allocated over 560 resource teaching posts and more than 1,400 child care posts to cater for children with special needs within the primary system. My Department is continuing to extend these services in response to assessed needs.
Also in September 1999 my Department extended the remedial teaching service to every first and second level school in the country with a pupil teacher ratio of 10:1 or above. Schools with lower ratios have been advised that they may apply to my Department for a remedial teaching service where they can demonstrate a need for such a service.
In addition, the national educational psychological service has now been established and this service will continue to be expanded to ensure that adequate assessment services are available to all children with special needs.
As Minister for Education and Science it is my intention to continue to build on the above developments and to ensure that all schools catering for children with special needs are given the support they require to carry out this very important role.